Who We Are

Vermont’s first LEED Platinum-certified building, the Janet Halstead Franklin ’72 and Churchill G. Franklin ’71 Environmental Center at Hillcrest, serves as a hub of environmental and sustainable action and ideas.
Sustainability and Environmental Affairs
Jack Byrne
he/him
Dean of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs; Director of Franklin Environmental Center
- Email:
- jmbyrne@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-5043
- Office:
- Franklin Env Ctr-Hillcrest 217
Tara Federoff
she/her
Assistant Director, Communications and Outreach
- Email:
- tfederoff@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-2536
- Office:
- Franklin Environmental Ctr Hillcrest 111
Janet Wiseman
she/her
Assistant Director, Franklin Environmental Center
- Email:
- jwiseman@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-5710
- Office:
- Franklin Env Ctr-Hillcrest 120
The Knoll
Megan Brakeley
she/her
Associate Director of the Knoll
- Email:
- mbrakeley@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-5788
- Office:
- Franklin Environmental Ctr Hillcrest 109
- Office Hours:
- Knoll Garden Volunteer Hours - go/knollhours
Climate Action Program
Minna Brown
she/her
Climate Action Program Director
- Email:
- mbbrown@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-2471
- Office:
- Franklin Environmental Ctr Hillcrest 204
Residents
Carolyn Finney
she/her
Artist-in-Residence, Environmental Affairs
- Email:
- cmfinney@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-2350
- Office:
- Franklin Env Ctr-Hillcrest 121
- Office Hours:
- Tuesday, 1-3pm, or by appointment (in person and virtual)
Bill McKibben
Schumann Distinguished Scholar
- Email:
- wmckibbe@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-3489
- Office:
- Franklin Env Ctr-Hillcrest 205
Frank Van Gansbeke
Executive Scholar in Residence
- Email:
- fvangansbek@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-5932
- Office:
- Axinn 246
Middlebury College Lands
Marc Lapin
he/him
Associate Laboratory Professor and College Lands Conservationist
- Email:
- lapin@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-3239
- Office:
- Franklin Env Ctr-Hillcrest 216
- Office Hours:
- Spring 2025: 9:30-11:00 Wednesday & by appointment
New Perennials
Bill Vitek
He/Him
Scholar-in-Residence, Environmental Affairs
- Email:
- wvitek@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-5586
- Office:
- 23 Adirondack 201
- Office Hours:
- By appointment
Lisa Winkler
NPP Specialist
- Email:
- lwinkler@middlebury.edu
- Tel:
- (802) 443-3140
- Office:
- 23 Adirondack 202